What age should you stop getting presents from Santa?

You hang your stockings at the end of your bed, in your lounge room, or lay them under the Christmas tree. It’s Christmas Eve and they’re empty. You go to bed with the anticipation that they’ll be full in the morning – after Santa has come.

It’s a vision of your childhood, and for some of us it’s a vision of our adulthood too.

The mystical magical creature that is Santa Claus comes to your house when you’re a child. You leave milk and cookies and carrots for the big jolly man and his reindeer.

Santa is the greatest guy.

As you grow you start to questions whether the man in the red suit is real. But you never question if he'll stop coming. You learn that perhaps the person filling your stocking is not this rosy red cheeked fella, but your mum or dad. Still, you never think the stockings will stop getting filled.

Then, for some, one year the stockings don't come out with the rest of your Christmas decorations. No more 'Santa' visiting you while you sleep. In your household, he is gone.

But for others - myself included - Santa just keeps coming. He never stops. He still comes for my parents too. Our stockings are laid out every Christmas Eve and filled while we sleep. Some of my friends are the same, others look at me with disbelief. And so it poses the question...at what age should Santa stop visiting? When should you stop getting presents form the jolly man?

When Everyone Says "I Can't Believe You're Not Taken".

Love Life

The Anal Episode

Sealed Section

ADVERTISEMENT

Many of my friends said the answer is never.

"Never because Christmas is magical," one friend said. "I just turned 25 and I can guarantee you that mum will still put a present under the tree that says Love Santa... still does it every year," said another.

"I still get a stocking. It's the only time my undie drawer gets updated," a friend piped in. "Any present from my parents will forever be from Santa. Stocking and all. Never growing up."

"The only tradition that stopped was milk and cookies under the tree that were "eaten" by Santa," I was told by another friend.

But then I had those who had stopped getting Santa presents a long time ago.

I guess the Christmas Grinch came.

"As soon as you get told Santa isn't real," one friend answered my question with. "Twelve," another said matter-of-factly. While another said they stopped when they turned 18.

"As soon as you're old enough to have to start buying presents for other members of your family. Then Santa is dead," another friend added.

There's no definitive answer. But for me, I say you're never too old. Santa is a jolly old man that will forever come in to my home, as a child and as a parent.